Type of Damage Your Teeth Take When You Regularly Clench Them

When you clench and/or grind your teeth, it can do a lot of damage. The enamel of your teeth can put up with a lot, but it cannot put up with extreme pressure for extended periods of time.

That can cause the enamel to crack and wear down. If you accidentally clench down on your teeth only rarely, such as if you stub your toe, it is often nothing to worry about. However, if you do it every time you get stressed out, that can leave your mouth in a lot of pain.

What Happens When You Clench Down

When you clench down on your teeth, it puts a lot of pressure on porous enamel. While enamel is the strongest substance within the human body, it can only take so much abuse.

Think of it as a really strong sponge. When those little holes bend, the entire sponge, or your enamel, can crush. This leaves you with a broken tooth. Any time you clench, you also run the risk of grinding your teeth.

This wears down the enamel on your teeth and can leave you facing a lot of tooth sensitivity. Each time you go to eat or drink something, the temperature difference will go straight to the nerves of your teeth and cause pain.

You can also clench down so hard, you cause cracks in that enamel. This can expose the nerves and the roof of your tooth to anything you eat or drink, causing pain and possibly decay.

Clenching your teeth is a bad habit, but it is one we can help treat. We can set you up with an oral appliance that helps you sleep and work without clenching your teeth. Find out more options by giving us a call today.